


Bon Appétit

by eafay70



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: (aka the Islanders mascot), 5+1 Things, Food, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, New York Islanders, Pining, appearance by Sparky the dragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-20 09:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70
Summary: Five times Tito's burger didn't really matter, and one time it did.





	1. Sparky the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [failurebydesign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/failurebydesign/gifts), [LottieAnna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieAnna/gifts), [emperorpenguin (dortmundbvbbabe)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dortmundbvbbabe/gifts).



> Dedicated to the three writers who got me into this ship. <3 <3 <3
> 
> From what I've gathered via Google, some Islanders did, in fact, sample the Tito burger, but I don't know which ones. If ever I find out who it was...then I will disregard it for purposes of this fic, but point it out at the end of this fic in case anybody's curious.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mascot tries the burger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought of this the instant I saw the pictures of the Tito burger! ...And for some reason it took me two months to actually write it.

Tito rather liked the burger that bore his name, but he didn't think it was a big deal. The Islanders, however, disagreed, as evidenced by whom they'd sent to try it.

"But mascots don't eat!" Tito whispered to the cameraperson setting up at one of the tables.

"Don't question it, man," the cameraperson advised. "Just let it happen."

Before Tito could speak further, Sparky the dragon walked into the restaurant, noticed Tito, and gave him a big hug. "Hi," Tito managed to mumble. "Did you have a nice flight?"

Sparky shook Tito in a show of laughter before releasing him and pointing to him, then the menu. "Yes, there is a burger with my number on it," Tito confirmed, following the script. "Have a seat, and it'll be right out." The dragon sat down, as did Tito.

Sure enough, the burgers came out right away. Sparky gave Tito two thumbs up, then picked up the burger and...well, Tito wasn't sure if it counted as 'eating,' but it ended in Sparky putting it back on the plate and shaking his head. He then pretended to blow on it.

"Oh, you wanted it charred!" This hadn't been in the script, but Tito could work with it. "Well, it's perfectly cooked for us humans!"

"And...CUT!" The cameraperson walked up to Sparky with a smile. "I'll take this..."

Tito laughed as the cameraperson took a big bite of the burger. "What do you think?"

The cameraperson swallowed before speaking. "It's really good! And we'll get Sparky something else to eat, don't worry."

"Of course," Tito smiled. He wondered if Mat would see the video and want to try the burger himself...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written Sparky differently than I usually write mascots because...well, there's no real reason. I might bring him back in a later chapter if I feel like writing him the way I usually write mascots - do let me know if this is something you'd like to see!!


	2. Josh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tito decides to confide in a good friend, who insists on continuing the discussion over food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing Josh! Yay for a fellow Jew! :D

Tito didn't know if it was a good idea, so he decided to ask for advice.

_To Josh: You got a minute? I need help thinking something through._

Rather than text back, Josh called. Tito answered right away: "Thanks, man."

"Of course. What's up?"

"I want to invite Mat here for a Tito burger, but I don't want it to be weird, so maybe I should invite other people, but I also want it to be special for Mat, so maybe I shouldn't, but -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, dude," Josh interrupted. "You're finally going to do something with those feelings of yours??"

"I'm thinking about it," Tito sighed. "I figure that if I do it over the summer, there's enough time for things to go back to normal before hockey starts again."

"Or it's enough time for you guys to settle into a new normal full of kisses and cuddling before hockey starts again - gotta think positive, Tito!"

"That's what I have you for, Josh," Tito deadpanned. "I'll stick to being realistic."

Josh tsked in disapproval. "You're a great guy, Tito!"

"Thanks," Tito replied automatically. "So you think I should invite him, then?"

"Yep. And I'm going to make sure you actually do it."

Tito almost dropped the phone in surprise. "Wait, what?!"

"I don't trust you not to chicken out, so I'm going to visit you, we're going to have Tito burgers, and you're going to invite Mat with me as an eyewitness."

Tito blinked, unable to fully process what he was hearing. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Please tell me that refers solely to the Tito burger."

"I actually meant Mat and me, but -"

Josh groaned. "Oy, this is worse than I thought. I'll be there...tomorrow. Talk then!"

The beeping of the ended call prompted Tito to groan. Josh was a very good friend, which was why he'd reached out to him in the first place, but apparently the offseason meant Josh had time to meddle. This was not going to end well.

***

Tito wasn't really surprised when Josh banged on his door the following morning, but that didn't mean Tito was happy about it. "I said it wasn't a big deal, Ho-Sang."

"Too bad," Josh retorted. "I'm here, and I want the best Tito burger possible, so I'm bringing the real-life Tito with me. Now."

With a loud groan, Tito put on his shoes, grabbed his keys and wallet, and accepted defeat. He considered himself lucky that Josh didn't say anything en route to the restaurant - in fact, Josh didn't say anything to him until after they'd placed their orders. "Tito, do it now."

"I..." Tito shook his head, staring intently at the table. "I can't."

"Why not?" Josh asked. "Are you that afraid that your friendship with Mat would never recover?"

"I'm afraid that I would never recover," Tito mumbled. "I don't want to risk him saying no."

Josh hummed in thought. "What if you posted about the burger and made it an open invitation for your teammates? You could even include Team Canada."

Tito pondered the suggestion. Both the Islanders and Team Canada had a lot of great guys, so he wouldn't be setting himself up for an awkward lunch. And if Mat saw enough people doing it, he could be tempted to do it himself. But...Tito looked up at Josh and asked, "Do you think Mat would think I was into someone else?"

"No," Josh replied, no room for argument in his tone. "Trust me."

Before Tito could say anything else, the burgers arrived. Josh whipped out his phone and took a picture before digging in. "Nice, dude!"

"Thanks," Tito laughed. "I really have nothing to do with it."

"Whatever you say." Josh poked around on his phone for a bit, then showed it to Tito: it was the picture of the burgers posted to Instagram with Tito tagged and a joke about summer diets as the caption. "Your move, Beauvillier."

Tito sighed and took out his phone, reading aloud as he typed: "Surprised to see my good pal Josh today, but I can't blame him for wanting to try the Tito burger! Anyone else want to try it?" He posted it, then went back to eating.

After Josh had paid and they'd returned to the car, Tito saw that he'd been tagged in a video posted by the Islanders. He showed it to Josh, who couldn't stop laughing. "Poor Sparky! He just wants something burned to a crisp!"

"Poor Sparky?!" Tito echoed in disbelief. "Look at the caption! They want Sparky to come back and bring other Islanders!"

"It's perfect!" Josh smiled at Tito. "Mat is an Islander, after all!"

Tito sputtered and shook his head, frankly bewildered by the whole thing. "You're sure you had nothing to do with this?"

"I promise that I knew nothing of this," Josh solemnly replied.

"Well, I guess you and Sparky are on the same wavelength, then," Tito sighed. "I just wonder which Islanders it'll be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! :D :D


	3. PLD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luc comes by for a burger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Pierre-Luc Dubois... (heart eyes)
> 
> Please join me in pretending that all the dialogue in this chapter is in French. :)

It wasn't long before a fellow member of Team Canada reached out to Tito with a burger request. Luc's schedule was relatively light, so finding a good day for both him and Tito was easy enough. Tito just hoped Luc wouldn't be as keen on nagging him as Josh had been.

He really should have known better.

To be fair, Luc made small talk on other topics while they waited for their burgers. And once the burgers arrived, Luc was distracted from saying anything by taking several 'artistic' pictures before gobbling down his burger. "This is so good," he practically moaned. "We need these to become the official burgers of Team Canada and the NHL."

"I don't think either organization would go for that," Tito laughed.

"Probably not," Luc conceded. "But you know who'd totally go for you the instant you gave him half a chance? Barzal."

Tito spat out his water. "Dude!"

"We both know it's true," Luc smirked.

"No, we don't," Tito scowled.

"Yes, we do," Luc insisted. "He looks at you like you're an angel. It's pretty much the same way you look at him."

Tito shook his head. "It's not like he's said anything, either."

"Believe me, I want to knock some sense into him, too - I just don't think he'd listen." Luc sighed in frustration. "Look, whenever I see the two of you together, I see something awesome that could be even more awesome if one of you would just do something. And I trust you to actually listen to me and do something. So, please...do something, okay?"

"I want to, but..." Tito stared at the table. "I'm just me. Why would he be interested?"

"Because you're an awesome guy with looks to match."

Tito looked up at Luc and snorted. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not, I promise." Luc smiled softly and rested his hand on Tito's shoulder. "I'll pay for lunch, and then we can go to your place so I can let you win at Chel?"

"Who said anything about letting you win?" Tito laughed.

Sure enough, Luc not only paid, but also lost at Chel despite playing his best. It left Tito feeling much better, even if he still doubted Luc was right about Mat's thoughts about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun detail: A few months ago, I saw a gif on Tumblr of PLD doing an interview in a Paris Saint-Germain jersey. Shocked by the apparent meeting of my two sports, I did some googling to see how this had come to pass...and got nothing. ><
> 
> While preparing to write this chapter today, I dug around on Tumblr and found the [gif](http://knosi.tumblr.com/post/172292889007/what-animal-would-you-be-x-pld-i-think-id-be) again. Apparently it's from a [video](https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/video/get-to-know-the-jackets-animal/t-277437100/c-59264003) on NHL.com, which...provides no clarity whatsoever on the situation. (No, none of this has to do with this chapter.)


	4. Chabby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Quebec guy eats a burger and offers his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, please join me in pretending all the dialogue is in French. :)

Tito wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that none of the Islanders had taken up the offer of a Tito burger. He did, however, know exactly how to feel about Chabby taking up the offer: "I seriously regret reaching out to Josh."

"Lying isn't nice," Chabby countered as they waited for their burgers. "That isn't the part you regret. The part you regret is not inviting Mat personally because you could be gazing into each other's eyes by now."

Tito snorted and shook his head. "We're both wrong. The part I regret is falling for someone so out of my league in the first place."

"Tito, Tito, Tito..." Chabby sighed with a soft smile. "We are native speakers of the language of love. We know better than to think we have any choice in the matter when Cupid starts shooting his arrows."

Tito burst out laughing at the sappy sentiment, as did Chabby. They somehow managed to pull themselves together once the burgers arrived. "Delicious," Chabby proclaimed after his first bite. "Just as wonderful as its namesake."

"You flatter me," Tito replied between bites.

"I speak the truth." Chabby waited until after they were done eating to speak further. "Is it really that hard for you to believe that you're a great guy? Luc said you were being ridiculously harsh on yourself when he was here."

"You and Luc talked about it?!" Tito squawked. "Why would you do that?"

"Both of us are your friends, so both of us want you to be happy," Chabby explained. "Getting together with Mat would make you happy, so we want that to happen - and it helps that Mat is also a friend of ours, so we want him to be happy, too, which getting together with you would accomplish. But putting that specific example to the side, we don't like when you fall into the trap of 'I can't possibly deserve good things because I'm not super awesome' and other lies of that nature. Luc knew I wanted to see you, so he gave me a heads-up that you could probably use a pep talk."

Tito blinked and tried to process what Chabby was saying. "I know I probably think too much about Mat not wanting me because I'm not as good-looking as he is, or as good at hockey, or as...well, like you said, 'super awesome'...but I guess I think that way without thinking about him, too."

"You do," Chabby confirmed softly. "I've noticed it during tournaments, too. Our sport doesn't make it easy to have decent self-esteem, especially when it comes to being sent down. So it's important to remind yourself that you're super awesome no matter what."

"You should be a motivational speaker," Tito chuckled. He shook his head sadly. "But it's easier said than done."

"So are most things worth doing." Chabby smiled softly, and Tito smiled back. "I'll do whatever I can to help you, I promise."

"Thank you," Tito whispered.

"And if Mat does anything to jeopardize that, I will not hesitate to drop the gloves on him at the first opportunity. Neither will Luc, or Josh, or anyone else."

"You talk to Josh about this, too??" Tito groaned. "Why am I not surprised..."

"I talk to Josh specifically about you and Mat because the pining is ridiculous," Chabby clarified. "Trust me, ask anyone - you two are complete and utter heart-eyes for each other."

Tito sighed. "Are you sure you guys aren't the ridiculous ones?"

"Don't care."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy with the reception this fic has received! :') Thank you for all your comments - they really have helped me focus on doing a chapter of this fic every day!! :D


	5. 'Dad' and the Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sparky's back, this time with a friend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mat and Tito call Jordan Eberle "Dad" in [this video](https://titobeauvillier.tumblr.com/post/174706601761/part-2) (towards the end).

Tito heard it from the Islanders PR people a few hours before he heard it from the guy involved: Jordan and Sparky would be coming for Tito burgers in two days. The part about Sparky still seemed ridiculous to Tito, but he was looking forward to seeing Jordan anyway, and the feeling appeared to be mutual.

"It feels like it's been forever," Jordan sighed over the phone.

"Aw, you miss me, Dad?" Tito teased.

"No sassing me like that on camera, young man!" Jordan ordered. "Or I'll make you pick up the tab yourself!"

Rather than chirp back, Tito just laughed, which prompted Jordan to start laughing, too. They ended the conversation shortly thereafter, and Tito felt himself smiling at the thought of seeing Jordan again. It would be fun.

When the big day rolled around, Tito beat the Islanders video crew to the restaurant by about five minutes. He watched them set up, and then they waited for Jordan to drive up with Sparky.

"I'm a little surprised Ebs was okay with the idea of lunch with a mascot," Tito admitted to the same cameraperson who had filmed the first video. "It just seems...weird."

"Don't question mascot magic, man," the cameraperson warned. "Ebs told me he once made a joke about Hunter during an interview, and all the deodorant from his locker disappeared before the interview was published. Ebs had to apologize to Hunter in front of the entire team before he got his deodorant back. I'm not saying mascots are hockey gods, but they're definitely powerful."

Tito nodded solemnly, then noticed two familiar figures coming through the door. "Dudes!!" He stood up as they walked over to him, allowing Sparky to give him a big hug. "I'm glad we didn't completely ruin your appetite last time!" 

The dragon slapped him on the back before stepping aside and taking a seat. Jordan gave Tito a hug and whispered, "You look great, Beau."

"Thanks," Tito whispered back before they ended the hug and sat down. "Well, Sparky, I told the staff that your burger had to be as charred as possible, and they said they'd do their best. Let's see how it turns out, eh?" Sparky gave two thumbs up and rubbed his stomach in eager anticipation.

The burgers came out right away. "They look great, dude!" Jordan marveled. He picked up his burger, took a bite, and moaned joyfully.

"Well, that's one vote in favor," Tito stated for the camera's benefit. "Sparky?"

The dragon nodded and picked up his burger. Once again, Tito wasn't sure it counted as 'eating,' but this time it ended in the burger disappearing quickly and Sparky offering a fist bump.

"Awesome!" Tito accepted the fist bump with a grin. "A happy mascot means a good season to come, eh?"

"I think so!" Jordan echoed before taking another bite of his burger.

"And...CUT!" The cameraperson walked up to them and shook their hands. "Thanks, guys. I think we have another hit on our hands! We'll let you guys catch up - see you on the ice soon!" Sparky nodded in agreement, then stood up, rubbed each player's head affectionately, and followed the video crew outside.

"So..." Jordan smiled at Tito. "Why am I here instead of your best friend?"

Tito shrugged. "I didn't want to ask anyone personally in case someone's feelings got hurt."

"Whose feelings would get hurt over you specifically inviting your best friend?" Jordan arched an eyebrow. "You guys aren't fighting, are you?"

"No, of course not!" Tito answered quickly. "We haven't talked much, that's all!"

"By normal people standards, or by Barzal-and-Beau standards?" Jordan asked.

"Uh...both, I guess?" Tito didn't like how worried Jordan looked. "It's not a big deal!"

"You and Mat not talking much is definitely a big deal," Jordan argued. "Mat's definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to you, but this is a new level of...I'm not sure what to call it, but I don't like it."

Tito blinked, very confused by Jordan's words. "What do you mean, not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to me? He's my best friend - you just said as much."

"There's more to it than just that."

"Not on his side," Tito muttered, lowering his gaze.

"Yes on his side, but he doesn't realize it," Jordan countered. "I've tried talking to him about his heart-eyes, but he seems to think best friends aren't allowed to be in love."

"Or maybe you're wrong about the heart-eyes." Tito struggled to keep his voice calm.

"I'm not, I promise," Jordan replied. "The pining is mutual, and you both deserve to have it replaced with something amazing."

Tito hesitantly looked up at Jordan. "But it's still a really scary idea - it could ruin everything."

"That's within the realm of possibility," Jordan admitted. "I don't think it's all that likely, though - you guys know the importance of communication, so you'll just keep communicating."

Tito sighed. "We haven't done a good job this offseason."

"Then fix that. Tell him I think the Tito burger is the best thing ever, and if he disagrees after trying it, then I'll pay him 20 bucks once we're all in New York again."

"And if he agrees after trying it, then he'll have to pay you instead?" Tito guessed.

Jordan nodded. "And the burger has your number on it, so naturally you're in charge of the bet."

Tito laughed at the ridiculous nature of the idea, but he took out his phone and texted Mat anyway. He showed the screen to Jordan, who nodded in approval. "Thanks, Ebs."

"You're welcome." Jordan grinned and checked his own phone. "I think there's just enough time for me to beat you at Chel before I have to hit the road."

"I think you're wrong - there's not enough time in the world for that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sparky in this chapter is closer to how I usually write mascots - hopefully nobody minds!
> 
> Disclaimer: The story about Jordan and Hunter is completely made up!!


	6. Mat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tito gets the most important opinion of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last!!!!!! <33

Tito heard back from Mat late that night: _Nothing against you, Beau, but I can't wait for Dad to pay up!_

It took Tito a few tries to type out a decent reply: _Well, when do you plan on coming here to try it?_

Mat answered fairly quickly: _Friday?_

_Sounds perfect!_

_I'll text you on Thursday with a time! Good night!_

Tito smiled as he replied: _Good night!_

He placed his phone on his nightstand, closed his eyes, and fell asleep quickly, dreaming of his best friend being more than just that - in other words, dreaming his usual dream.

***

True to his word, Mat texted Tito on Thursday: _12:30 tomorrow?_

_Perfect!_

_It'll be just us, right? Not with PR?_

Tito was a little surprised by the question, but he made sure to answer before pondering it further: _Yeah, just us. I figured we could just post pictures on Instagram and leave it at that in terms of 'publicizing' it._

Did the presence of cameras matter to Mat? That wouldn't make sense, considering both he and Tito were professional athletes in the age of social media - they were used to interviews and cameras by now. Maybe Mat was just figuring out if he needed to check in with the Islanders beforehand - but why wouldn't he have trusted Tito to tell him if he needed to do that?

Before Tito could overthink things even further, Mat's reply came through: _Awesome! We haven't seen each other in ages, so I'm glad it's just us! See you then!_

_Yep, see you then!_

Tito sighed in relief. In all honesty, he was very nervous about the lunch, but at least Mat hadn't insisted on turning it into a publicity thing. Maybe things would go smoothly after all...

***

The following day, Tito felt very nervous the entire morning. He tried to calm down by going over what he wanted to say to Mat, but that didn't work, so he tried to distract himself with silly videos online, which proved equally ineffective. As a last resort, he sent a text: _You're sure he likes me like that?_

Josh answered right away: _I'm very sure._

_But what if he says no anyway?_

_Then there will be someone dropping the gloves on him on several NHL teams, including the Islanders._

Tito gulped. _Does he know that?_

_He should. But there will be a shovel talk as soon as you actually act on your feelings, just to be on the safe side._

Tito laughed at Josh's determination to prevent Mat from hurting him. _Thanks, man._

_You're welcome. Let me know how it goes!_

It was time to get going, so Tito pocketed his phone, checked his outfit and hair, and headed to the car. He arrived at precisely 12:23, and Mat arrived precisely two minutes later, a grin spread across his face. "Tito, dude!"

"Dude!" Tito stood up and hugged him tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"It's always good to see you." Mat stepped back so they could sit down. "I really should have done this sooner. I can't believe PLD and Chabby beat me here!"

"And Sparky, and Josh, and Ebs with Sparky," Tito pointed out. "But they pretty much invited themselves, so it's not the same thing."

"Yeah, but -" Mat was interrupted by the arrival of their burgers. "Now let's see here..." He took out his phone, snapped several pictures, and took a bite. "Dude! Awesome, dude!"

"Thanks." Tito felt himself blushing as he ate his own burger. "I really had nothing to do with it."

"But it's your name, so therefore it's awesome!" Mat blinked suddenly mid-bite, as if he hadn't planned to say that. "I mean..."

"That we're best friends?" Tito asked.

"That, too, but..." Mat put down his burger and leaned forward. "I think I...want to be...not that."

Tito gulped nervously. "What do you mean, not that?"

"I mean..." Mat gulped, too. "Pretty much as soon as we weren't together every day, I started missing you a lot, and it was really confusing, so I...didn't want to say anything until I made sense of it, but...honestly, I'm still confused, even more so."

"Really?" Tito arched an eyebrow in spite of the butterflies in his stomach. "You have no idea what it could be?"

"Loneliness?" Mat guessed, shrugging. "It turned into jealousy once everyone else was hanging out with you - I almost wanted to punch that stupid dragon when I saw pictures of the second visit."

"Don't call the mascot stupid!" Tito kicked him under the table. "You're buying him a box of chocolates once the season starts again, understood?"

"Okay, fine!" Mat kicked Tito halfheartedly. "I will beg Sparky's forgiveness!"

"Good," Tito grinned. "But..." He carefully rested his foot on top of Mat's foot. "You really don't know what you're feeling?"

Mat shook his head. "I think Ebs thinks it's...feelings stuff, but...you're my best friend. That's not how it works."

Tito groaned. "Why not?!"

"Because..." Mat moved his foot away from Tito's foot, then blinked in confusion. "Beau..."

"Pay for the food so we can drive back to my place and discuss this properly, please," Tito ordered. Mat silently nodded and did as he was told.

Neither spoke in the car. Mat was first to speak once they were sitting on Tito's couch: "Are you trying to tell me I like you or something?!"

"Not exactly." Tito rested his hand on Mat's knee. "I'm trying to tell you that it's possible."

"How?" Mat glanced at his knee, then back at Tito.

"How can a guy fall for his best friend? Simple." Tito leaned very slightly forward. "It happened to me, and I've spent this whole offseason debating if I should make a move. Everyone else says I should, and I'm beginning to see their point."

"Really?" Mat whispered. Tito nodded. "Then..." He leaned very slightly forward. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah." Tito closed the gap, and they kissed softly for a few moments. He pulled back and smiled before asking, "Does that help clarify things?"

"I think so," Mat nodded. "Ebs has been on my case about heart-eyes for a while now, and I know some of the Team Canada guys give us weird looks, but...yeah, it's clicking now. But...why didn't you say something sooner, man?"

"You're you and I'm me," Tito sighed. "Sometimes I get hung up on that."

"Dude!" Mat scoffed. "I'm taller, and my hair is more...flow-y or whatever, but have you seen yourself lately? You're a catch!"

Tito's blush returned. "I guess my boyfriend will have to remind me the next time I forget."

"Between him and your best friend, you'll never forget it again." Mat kissed him, this time a bit more firmly. "What do I tell Ebs about the burger?"

"Don't." Tito moved his hand from Mat's knee, then took out his phone and read aloud the text he was sending to Jordan: "You were right, Dad."

Mat laughed as Tito sent the text. "He's going to be insufferable."

"Worth it." Tito sent Josh, Luc, and Chabby an identical message: _You were right._

"Everything okay?" Mat asked. "That's a lot of typing."

"Just telling the people who need to know." Tito put his phone back in his pocket, ignoring that it was already buzzing with replies. He kissed Mat again, relieved that everything had gone well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your feedback on this fic! I hope to do a lot of writing in August because I'll be very pressed for time and energy in September, and writing six chapters in six days has helped me feel confident that I can get plenty of writing done! =D
> 
> (Having said that, not everything I plan to write will be published right away, so don't be surprised if I seem to 'disappear' from AO3 for several days.)

**Author's Note:**

> Research-type things:  
> [the Tito burger itself](https://titobeauvillier.tumblr.com/post/174407212121/tito-burger) (from failurebydesign, aka @titobeauvillier on Tumblr, aka the best source imaginable of Mat, Tito, Mat/Tito, and other Islanders)  
> ["Barzy and Beau: A Primer"](https://lottswrites.tumblr.com/post/171646742484/barzy-and-beau-a-primer) (from LottieAnna, aka @lottswrites on Tumblr)


End file.
